Can you attach cut bricks (like tiles) to external render?

New_home_owner_2

We recently bought a 1920s rendered property, painted cream, which has exposed decorative brickwork around the door and window openings. These essentially form a one-brick-wide border around each of the openings.

We are having an extension built, and the builder tells us we are unable to have the exposed brick border down one side of a new window, due to its proximity to the corner of the extension. Apparently cutting into the blocks forming the wall here would weaken the corner.

We're trying to think of a way around this, as we'd like to maintain the character of the property - but not impact the structural integrity!

Does anyone have any ideas? Can you cut bricks thinly and apply them almost like tiles to an exterior rendered wall? Or would they just fall off when exposed to the ups and downs of the British weather?

Any advice on how we could go about doing this would be much appreciated

EssexExile

Put "Brick Slips" into Google.

nickcc

Most local authority homes where my Daughter lives have had brick cladding applied which seems to be what you're looking for.

Doozergirl

Can you show us a picture, please?

Brick slips do exist, but it would be nice to see what it's supposed to look like so we can recommend best options.

nickcc

Just search under brick slips in Google and there's loads of examples.

ceredigion

Apart from brick slips, a plasterer could do it with wallcrete

[Deleted User]

Some places will cut bricks to make into slips too so you can choose the ones you want.

We had our large fireplace in the kitchen re-built. We went to a local builders' merchants and choose the bricks we wanted and they then cut them into slips for us.

New_home_owner_2

Hi everyone, thank you for your help so far!

I've got some pictures but I can't seem to upload them here - it only lets me insert a url rather than upload a file. Anyone know a way around this?

We already have the bricks ("FLB 1st quality") that match the rest of the house and will be used around the rest of the windows and doors in the extension. So we really need the cut bricks to match exactly, as they will be right next to the FLBs. So it sounds like we will need to get some "brick slips" cut from these.

I'll contact some local brick merchants and see if they can cut some, as suggested.

I've just looked up wallcrete - so do you essentially use it like an adhesive for the brick slips? Should this go on before the render? Do you need a specialist for it?

Sorry for my complete ignorance!

Grenage

New_home_owner wrote: »

I've got some pictures but I can't seem to upload them here - it only lets me insert a url rather than upload a file. Anyone know a way around this?

Yup, just upload the images on imgur.com (other fileshare websites are available), and link here.

ceredigion

New_home_owner wrote: »

Hi everyone, thank you for your help so far!

I've got some pictures but I can't seem to upload them here - it only lets me insert a url rather than upload a file. Anyone know a way around this?

We already have the bricks ("FLB 1st quality") that match the rest of the house and will be used around the rest of the windows and doors in the extension. So we really need the cut bricks to match exactly, as they will be right next to the FLBs. So it sounds like we will need to get some "brick slips" cut from these.

I'll contact some local brick merchants and see if they can cut some, as suggested.

I've just looked up wallcrete - so do you essentially use it like an adhesive for the brick slips? Should this go on before the render? Do you need a specialist for it?

Sorry for my complete ignorance!

Wallcreate is a specialist form of external rendering, It is not difficult but you need to be shown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNccPXEEXCk


Brick slips are stuck on with a flexible tile adhesive such as
http://www.theunderfloorheatingstore.com/bal-rapidset-flexible-grey?utm_source=google_shopping&gclid=Cj0KEQjw2sO3BRD49-zdzfb8iLwBEiQAFZgZfAzN5lauCCy043_9COeIVeHXFTpU69Mbu0W7Mdyp5aIaAr9a8P8HAQ

molerat

I would employ a builder who can build what you want, preferably one who uses a proper brickie.